As the power and potential to create robust distributed interactive simulation (DIS) environments using the technical principles introduced by the SIMNET project gains recognition, the need for establishing standards for the implementation of these principles has grown dramatically. Initially, the interest in achieving interoperability between many disparate simulation components drove the work in developing standards. More recently, an equally important aspect for establishing standards has been to expand the market opportunities for simulation component suppliers. During the past five years, Workshops on Standards for the Interoperability of Distributed Simulations have provided the forum for establishing standards for networking dissimilar simulations to create virtual worlds in which many subjects can interact. These virtual worlds can be used for training individuals, testing equipment, prototyping products, research and development or any application involving the interaction of groups of people in a common synthetic environment.>